A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to providing solicitations for offers and, more particularly, to a network that provides systems, apparatus, and methods for maintaining offers on a network and for permitting users to access and respond to the offers.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Advertising often takes a two-stage approach, applying marketing techniques in a solicitation and again, at a point of sale. The point of sale that a solicitation drives a customer to, for example, may be a store, a telemarketing center, or a web site on the Internet. Today, there is usually little connection between marketing done at the point of sale and the reasons why the company solicited a given customer. Physical stores cannot change to adapt their marketing approach when a customer arrives. A telemarketing center can adapt somewhat to meet a particular customer's needs, but is much less flexible than the Internet. Only the Internet has the potential to customize the experience of visiting a point of sale.
Some web sites today provide a custom experience for the user. This customization often depends on the user's previous visits. However, today's web sites do not base their customization on a solicitation. That is to say, today's web sites to do not complete the loop from a solicitation to web-based marketing.
Further, some web sites today provide offers on their web site. However, these offers are directed to the general public. They are not directed to specific individuals. Additionally, these offers are not provided in response to a solicitation received by a select group of individuals.
As such, a system is needed to provide solicitations and offers to potential or existing customers through the Internet. Further, a system is needed to allow these existing or potential customers to respond to these solicitations and offers through the Internet, thus tying together the solicitation and point of sale phases of marketing.